Chapter 12

Ariana came to pick us up immediately, eyeing the two of us skeptically.
“Would you need me to call up your butler, Mr. Alexakis-Caron.”
“Please don’t.” he sighed dreadfully, “I’m a thirty-year-old man who hasn’t needed him in five years.”
“As you wish.”
The ride was silent but warm. I’d shed the overcoat and placed it neatly on the backrest of the passenger seat. I sat in the back with Cristo with him to my left. Our arms were so close, almost touching. I could feel my arm and neck heating up, remembering how sensual his light touches were, and the strength of just his hand. The warmth of his palm replayed on my cheek, and I wanted nothing more that for that to be a forever.
“Ariana,” I said, “could you head towards the second main plaza uphill?”
She looked back at me confused, but nodded and turned into a street slanting upwards. We rode in silence until the places started to look familiar.
“Yes, stop here.” I said, “Do you have a coin?”
“Of course.” Ariana reached into the dashboard drawer and patted around, bringing out a hexagonal silver coin. I thanked her and got out of the car, unable to believe I was doing this.
I was desperate for help. For any kind of it.
I could see people’s gazes turn to me, a woman in a large princess-like dress carrying her skirt with her hair billowing behind her under the hanging trees and lamp-lights. It must’ve been a dramatic sight. But there was nothing dramatic about the way I was feeling. Hurt, scared, and lost.
A faithless girl, with no hope in god or destiny. And here I was running towards a fountain, hoping for a miracle.
Spotting the familiar Roman statue up ahead, I came to a slow stop. My hands gripped onto the coin for dear life as my hear thudded like a bullet against my chest, desperately pleading for anyone or anything to listen to me.
Anything at all.
Please, I begged in my heart as I squeezed my eyes shut, Please, reveal the truth. Of everything. Of my feelings, of the people that cross me, their intent, their agendas. Please, open me up to the truth.
With a deep breath, I tossed the coin forward and waited to hear the inevitable plop.
It never came.
I opened my eyes to see a hand before me holding the coin. I followed the arm to Cristo, who was looking down at the coin with some kind of emotion I couldn’t decipher. But I understood his confusion.
Without a word, he took my hand and placed the coin inside it, closing my palm. He stepped nearer to me, holding my hands together in his and looking into my eyes.
“I understand,” he sighed, “how helpless and lost you feel. I can’t even imagine how hard life must’ve been. And I get you were scared of what Rio did. I was, too. I thought I’d lost you for good. I would’ve never found you had he gotten away.”
I nodded solemnly.
“Were you the one who stopped the ship?”
“Yeah.” He admitted guiltily, “Had to jam the rotors with my shoes.”
I looked down at his feet, noticing for the first time that he had only wet socks on them.
“I’ll pay you back.” I said meekly.
“Please don’t.” he said softly and grabbed my hands, “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
I pulled my hands out of his, leaving him justifiably confused. “Our problems aren’t over yet.”
“Oh…yes, you’re right.” He nodded and pushed his hands into his pockets.
I moved past him to sit on the ledge of the fountain, looking into the rippling water and dipping my hand in it. It was freezing cold, but I didn’t care. It was calming me and I was willing to catch a cold for a sliver of peace. Cristo slowly followed, sitting at a distance but close enough to reach out to me.
“What are you going to do when you go back home?” I asked, “You parents are waiting on an answer, aren’t they?”
He sighed, “I’m not going to accept it but…that in itself will cause a lot of trouble. My parents have their own secrets they’re trying to keep from each other.”
“The world of the rich isn’t as luxurious as I thought, huh?”
“Not even the slightest.” He replied sadly, “I despise them both. They’re great actors.”
“Will you be able to run from them?” I asked, looking at him with concern. He nodded, although a little hesitantly.
“Greece.” He replied softly, “To my grandfather. For a little get away and…some answers. What about you?”
“I’m not sure,” I shrugged, “but…I’m starting to think that, for once, maybe I need to take a break. A long one?”
“Hiatus?”
“Undecided.”
He nodded understandingly. “I hope that when we see each other after that, we’ll be in a better place. Mentally and in circumstances.”
I looked at him hopefully, and he looked back at me. We shared the same gaze and the same heart. And while it hurt to know we’d be parting once again, and this time in very different directions, I was looking forward to coming back to see him again.
The Billionaire Matching Club Books 1-6
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